Mayor Edwin M. Lee announced plans today to expand his Fix-It initiative, a pilot program created last May to address quality-of-life issues in San Francisco neighborhoods. Based on the initial success of the program, Fix-It will visit 20 different communities this year to continue improving our City’s neighborhoods.

“Fix-It has been an incredible tool in coordinating and focusing our City department efforts on the unique issues that face each of our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Lee. “We are working together, fixing problems proactively, and making our neighborhood corridors cleaner, safer, better places to live. I’ve personally witnessed the success of Fix-It and I look forward to seeing the positive impact our efforts will have on 20 neighborhoods this year.”

Fix-It focuses on the unique and specific issues of each neighborhood. This begins with an assessment of the neighborhood that requires attendance and involvement in community meetings, and through soliciting feedback on the top priorities from those who live and work in the area. By working closely with the community, Fix-It identifies problems and then addresses those concerns in partnership with City departments. Fixes range from concerns that can be resolved quickly—such as removing graffiti or trimming trees that obstruct vision—to issues that require longer-term planning and more intensive City and community involvement.

In the program’s pilot phase, Fix-It focused on five neighborhoods: Chinatown, Market/Castro, Mission/Geneva, Inner Sunset and the Civic Center UN Plaza. Work in those neighborhoods included engaging with more than 500 residents, fixing 108 street lights, painting 495 crosswalks and curbs, replacing or fixing 150 street signs, and enhancing the cleaning operations on more than 100 city blocks.

“During the last year, Fix-It has benefited from incredible community participation and City support,” said Fix-It Director Sandra Zuniga. “The issues we are dealing with are complex, and Fix-It serves as the connection between residents who care, and the City services there to help. As we go into 20 neighborhoods this year, we will have the chance to engage more residents, and offer targeted support and attention to areas across the city.”

In 2017, the Fix-It team will visit portions of neighborhoods like the Sunset District, the Mission District, the Bayview, and the Tenderloin, among others. To determine the top high-need “zones” that would be supported by Fix-It in 2017, the team used police data, 311 service request data and resident feedback.

“Fix-It has made a real difference in my neighborhood,” said Anita Rainer, owner of Jade Bazaar and Anita Jewelry in Chinatown. “Chinatown is cleaner and feels safer, but it’s more than that. Fix-It gave residents the opportunity to share our concerns and be heard, develop connections with the City and feel more empowered to help continue to keep Chinatown clean.”

The Fix-It team works on both short-term and long-term cleanup issues, such as repairing potholes, painting over graffiti, replacing missing street signs and resolving encampments, among other actions. To address these issues and concerns, Fix-It partners and coordinates with multiple city agencies, including San Francisco Public Works, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing Homeless Outreach Team, San Francisco Department of Public Health and San Francisco Police Department and others.